Negative effects of psychotherapy: estimating the prevalence in a random national sample

Background Negative or adverse effects of psychological treatments are increasingly a focus of psychotherapy research. Yet, we still know little about the prevalence of these effects. Aims Starting from a representative national sample, the prevalence of negative effects and malpractice was determined in a subsample of individuals reporting psychotherapy currently or during the past 6 years. Method Out of an initial representative sample of 5562 individuals, 244 were determined to have had psychotherapy within the past 6 years. Besides answering questions related to treatment, its effects and the therapists, patients filled out the Negative Effects Questionnaire, items of the Inventory of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy reflecting malpractice and the Helping Alliance Questionnaire, and rated psychotherapeutic changes in different areas. Results Rates of positive changes related to therapy varied between 26.6% (relationship to parents) and 67.7% (improvement in depressed mood). Deteriorations were most commonly related to physical well-being (13.1%), ability to work (13.1%) and vitality (11.1%). Although patients generally reported a positive helping alliance, many of them reported high rates of negative effects (though not always linked to treatment). This was especially true of the experience of unpleasant memories (57.8%), unpleasant feelings (30.3%) and a lack of understanding of the treatment/therapist (19.3/18.4%). Indicators of malpractice were less common, with the exception that 16.8% felt violated by statements of their therapist. Conclusions This study helps to better estimate aspects of negative effects in psychotherapy ranging from deteriorations, specific effects and issues of malpractice that should be replicated and specified in future studies.

The relevance of WHO support to member states in measuring and understanding behaviour insights during Covid-19 syndemic

WHO has developed approaches and activities in measuring pandemic fatigue. Member states were consulted on their needs in beginning October 2020. WHO proposed develop national action plans to measure pandemic fatigue, which should be based on the strategies and principles presented in the WHO document “Pandemic Fatigue - Reinvigorating the public to prevent COVID-19”, and on the basis of recommendations in WHO publications: “Risk communication and community engagement readiness and initial response for novel coronaviruses: interim guidance” and “Risk communication and community engagement strategy for COVID-19 template”. WHO has developed a tool for understanding behavior in COVID-19 (“WHO tool for behavioral insights on COVID-19”) in ten steps, with recommendations to countries on how to approach measuring and monitoring pandemic fatige. In doing so, WHO advises countries to establish a national response coordination mechanism involving a wide range of relevant stakeholders. Stakeholders should be involved in all ten steps of implementing the tool to understand people's behavior in relation to COVID-19. A “Survey tool and guidance: behavioural insights on COVID-19” was launched mid October 2020, supporting member states in organizing their Covid-19 fatigue linked surveying activities. Slovenia is running bi-weekly panel surveying (representative national sample of 1000 participants every 14 days) in 20 waves (dec2020/dec21), extensively exploring ineqalities linked to gender, age, socioeconimic status and others in bi-weekly reports. According to the feedback from member states, international dimension is very valuable for all member states. It is very important for them to have the venue for sharing experiences, challenges and strategies to overcome obstacles. New inequalities emerging from the Covid-19 syndemic will be presented in the next four presentations of the workshop.

Response Options and the Measurement of Political Knowledge

By many measures, the public knows little about politics. But just how little people seem to know depends on the questions that are put to them. In particular, knowledge levels seem higher when people are asked closed- rather than open-ended questions. In turn, differences between estimated knowledge levels are sometimes attributed to fundamental differences between these types of questions. Building on this previous research, the present study uses a pre-registered experiment conducted with a representative national sample to shed new light on the relationship between question form and knowledge measurement. The authors find that inferences about political knowledge depend less on fundamental differences between open- and closed-ended questions than on two little-appreciated aspects of survey design: the number and difficulty of the response options that accompany closed-ended questions. These aspects of survey design have large effects. Scholars who use the same questions with different response options may reach substantively different conclusions about the public's levels of knowledge.

Age Limits of Criminal Responsibility for Property Offences: A New Empirical Research on Legal Consciousness in Hungary

This research focuses on the question whether novelties of criminal law are mirrored in legal consciousness. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on a representative national sample of the adult Hungarian population and in this paper, the responses related to the age-limit of criminal responsibility for property offences are analysed. The hypothesis that the average person has a fragmented knowledge, even about this sector of criminal law, has been verified. It was not substantiated that this knowledge of law is substantially affected by socio-economic factors, including media consumption and encountering criminality. The cognitive answers were, however, strongly influenced by the attitudes of the respondents.1

Cross-border reproductive care: Opinions and attitudes of society towards surrogate pregnancy

Surrogate pregnancy (SP) has acquired a prominent public profile through the bioethical, legal and media debates this cross-border reproductive practice has raised worldwide. The different social agents involved in the phenomenon frequently appeal to public opinion looking for legitimation and endorsement of their ethical and political positions on the matter. However, opinion polls occupy a marginal place in research about SP. The article presents the findings of the scoping review of 31 scientific articles (1985–2017) analysing public opinion regarding SP in 13 countries. The aim is to single out the main subtopics covered by the studies in order to identify research gaps as well as describe and analyse SP as a socio-cultural construct and ‘social problem’ which is currently situated in a complex multidimensional arena made of conflicting narratives and attitudes that divide international public opinion along each one of the identified subtopics. Additionally, the article presents the results of the survey Opinion and Attitudes of the Spanish Population towards Adoption, Fostering and Gestational Surrogacy (2018), the first conducted in Spain with a representative national sample.

The role and importance of value-based segmentation on the cohort of millennials: Case study Serbia

The paper deals with the value-based segmentation conducted on Millennials generation in Serbia. It presents the research findings of the five segments of the Serbian Millennials according to their values and life style. The subject of defining the set of segments was processed by conducting a cluster and factor analysis on the representative national sample of Millennials in Serbia. Once the cluster analysis discovered the segments, the next step was to understand the essence of the clusters or segments. The sample is consisted of 1000 respondents, reflecting the population structure of the Serbian generation Y according to gender, age, region and type of settlement (urban / rural). The analysis showed some quite interesting and in some parts contradictory results. The results of this survey are relevant for sociologists, strategists, communications professionals and managers who are interested in this generation of voters, consumers, employees, leaders and entrepreneurs.

The Role of Regional and State Initiatives in Nursing Home Advance Care Planning Policies

Objective: Antibiotic use at the end of life (EoL) may introduce physiological as well as psychological stress and be incongruent with patients’ goals of care. Advance care planning (ACP) related to antibiotic use at the EoL helps improve goal-concordant care. Many nursing home (NH) residents are seriously ill. Therefore, we aimed to examine whether state and regional ACP initiatives play a role in the presence of “do not administer antibiotics” orders for NH residents at the EoL. Methods: We surveyed a random, representative national sample of 810 U.S. NHs (weighted n = 13,983). The NH survey included items on “do not administer antibiotics” orders in place and participation in infection prevention collaboratives. The survey was linked to state Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) adoption status and resident, facility, and county characteristics data. We conducted multivariable regression models with state fixed effects, stratified by state POLST designation. Results: NHs in mature POLST states reported higher rates of “do not administer antibiotics” orders compared to developing POLST states (10.1% vs. 4.6%, respectively, p = 0.004). In mature POLST states, participation in regional collaboratives and smaller NH facilities (<100 beds) were associated with having “do not administer antibiotics” orders for seriously ill residents (β = 0.11, p = 0.006 and β = 0.12, p = 0.003, respectively). Discussion: NHs in states with mature POLST adoption that participated in infection control collaboratives were more likely to have “do not administer antibiotics” orders. State ACP initiatives combined with regional antibiotic stewardship initiatives may improve inappropriate antibiotic use at the EoL for NH residents.

Communication on complementary feeding: attitudes of parents versus pediatricians in France

Background Appropriate complementary feeding (CF) can be seen as a promising strategy to prevent childhood obesity. Children's eating behavior is influenced by multiple factors, but parents play a key role in modelling eating habits of their children. For this reason, parents must be informed and guided properly through the CF process. Pediatricians (PED) interact with parents before and at the onset of the CF transition, they can thus positively influence related parental decisions. With the release of new recommendations in France in 2019, the aim of this study was to inform the communication strategy accounting for the needs of parents and PED. Methods Two online surveys were prepared, completion was anonymous and on voluntary basis. PED members of AFPA, the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics, (n = 1402), were asked on their attitudes and practices in counselling parents on CF. A representative national sample of 1001 parents, with at least one child under 4 years, was interviewed to investigate their sources and expectations regarding information on CF. Results Answers from 301 PED and 826 parents showed that the importance of CF for the healthy growth of the child was well recognized by all. PED considered as their responsibility counselling parents on CF and parents acknowledged them as the most influential source of advice. However, PED neglected the fact that parents gave almost the same level of trust to their social network when looking for advice on CF. Internet was a well-recognized source of information according to all whatever their status. Apps were also rated as an appropriate communication tool but no such official app exist so far. Diverging from what PED consider useful, parents were interested in practical advice to implement CF, such as recipes' examples. Conclusions This study highlights common expectations but also points of divergence between PED's and parents' needs with regards to communication on CF. Key messages PED are an important and reliable source of information on CF for parents, but the influence of parents’ social network is underestimated by PED and must be taken into account. In developing the communication strategy for CF guidelines, both paper and digital tools should be considered. These tools should tackle topics for which parents lack information.